Hello Friends. I am stepping back from my typical blogging for a moment and posting something more formal. For those interested in hearing some factual information on the Canadian Seal Hunt, I have written a short (well, rather short) essay for you. Feel free to disagree. I will be back to my regular posting content again tomorrow.

The Atlantic Canadian Seal Hunt and Why Sir Paul is Wrong

Three types of seals are hunted in the Northwest Atlantic: harp seals, hooded seals, and grey seals. The season usually lasts from March through to May in the waters around the Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. The seal hunt is a sustainable and viable industry in Atlantic Canada. Emotions aside, the following text provides factual information on the seal hunt. The information on the seal hunt debate is often rhetorical and difficult to sift through. The following short essay is provided to clarify misinformation.

Arctic sea ice is melting and the world is under threat of a global shift in climate which can result in increased frequencies of severe weather, rise in sea level and even increased health related problems. The recent alarming rate of melting ice in the Arctic led people to question whether there would be a seal hunt this year at all given the fact that there were so few floes for the seals to birth on. One might wish the world would unite around this environmental crisis. But our environmental consciousness is awoken instead by famous celebrities who can make their personal beliefs known and influence the public by having access to international media outlets. In the meantime, the facts get pushed aside. There is no doubt that the Canadian seal hunt can and should be debated, but it should be done by those who share expertise and unbiased visions, which means among academics, officials and organizations, at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals and texts. But instead, the presence of Paul McCartney on an ice floe on one day in March may have forever changed the face of the seal hunting community in Canada.

A number of you expressed that you would be interested in knowing the facts of the Canadian seal hunt. When I teach this topic to undergraduate classes, I present both sides of the story and let the students make up their own minds. Last year, in a class of 52 students, only two concluded that the seal hunt was inherently wrong. This in a class comprised of environmentally conscious and aware students. Almost all of them were Canadian, however, so perhaps we can not have an unbiased view. This post is long. Bear with me...

The fact of the matter is that every animal that is killed for human consumption is slaughtered in some way. Chicken coops, cattle slaughterhouses, fishing boats…these are not pretty things to see, but they tend not to be under the glare of cameras hovering above. And, as the Premiere of Newfoundland said on Larry King last night, the seals are killed on gleaming white snow, making the blood shed look so much more dramatic; put a white sheet down on the floor of a chicken slaughterhouse and see what that looks like. My point here is that to campaign against the seal hunt means that there should also be a campaign against the cattle industry, the fishing industry, and meat farms the world over.

The imagery and propaganda that is put forward by the deep ecology movements are based on emotions rather than fact, including: images of the white coated seals, which are not killed. The seals cannot be harvested when they are in breeding or birthing grounds. Only weaned, self-reliant seals are hunted after they have been left by their mothers. The majority (90%) of seals are shot from a distance. Some are killed with a hakapik, which has been documented (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, 2002) to kill the animal quickly and humanely. “Hunting methods were studied by the Royal Commission on Sealing in Canada and they found that the clubbing of seals, when properly performed, is at least as humane as, and often more humane than, the killing methods used in commercial slaughterhouses, which are accepted by the majority of the public.” (Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 2005).

The seal population is not endangered or threatened in any way. The harp seal population is abundant, with over five million in the Northwest Atlantic alone. The population has tripled since the 1970s. The Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans sets quotas at levels to ensure the abundance of the seal herds. Generally, the quotas are 3% of the total population. Many researchers and scientists view this as a sustainable quota and it is particularly humane in light of the fact that the seal population has grown so large that the seals are under threat of starvation. Just this past December, a massive number of seals washed ashore along the Northumberland Strait of Nova Scotia and they died a painfully slow death. No celebrity was there reporting the natural slaughter or the cruelty of Mother Nature.

There are economic incentives to maintain the industry, which personally do not play into the debate for most environmentalists who do not decry the hunt, including myself. But to present the facts, in 2004, there was a landed value of $16.5 million which provided a significant source of income to many families in the Maritime provinces, for those who may not have other work options, living in remote northern coastal communities. And the income is not based primarily on the seal furs. Seals are harvested for food, and seal oil (for Omega-3, which has been a component of heart medication and menstrual medication).

The seal hunt is tightly regulated and monitored by the Canadian Government. There is no scandal, there is nothing particularly different about this than any other form of animal slaughter. The Canadian seal hunt is an excuse for organizations to raise their profile and themselves to make money. Their intent may be good, but it is one that is partial and flawed. The persistent use of cute and cuddly images of furry white seals sensationalizes the actual facts; these seals are not killed. Are the images of hunters with a hakapik difficult to watch? Without a doubt. It’s difficult to watch anything being killed. The difference here is that this hunt is filmed, on the open ice; where are the cameras inside the beef slaughterhouses?...perhaps McCartney might like to take on the American cattle industry.

Thanks for taking your time to explain to us what I didn't know much about. You're right about the fundamental problem here: the environmental changes. As I was guessing before the melting of ice is what's endangering those species more than anything else. Polar bears are dying of starvation, they have to travel miles and miles to get food. And as you say seals are too. That's what makes me really sad. Obviously I'm not more against the seal hunt as I am against slaughterhouses and the creation of animals for eating purposes. It's still better than killing them for they fur but I'm still not happy about any of that, full stop. Still, your point is well made and I'm happy that the seal hunt is not endangering the species, on the contrary. What's the seal's meat like? I'd say...fat ;P

Gurgo;Thank you; I sent a copy to Heather McCartney (thanks for the link!); for what it's worth! As for sending it to other places; our local media, like newspapers, is relatively informed already on the topic.

Meow;Thank You; ditto my comments to the other Connie!

Devil Mood;I appreciate your perspective; really, I do. It's just having all information on the table that counts; not putting only one forward....I have never eaten seal meat myself. But I would think that it would be very fatty.

Thanks so much for posting that. I'd have to say I agree with you. Have you sent this to McCartney's people...whoever those people are?

I would also much rather see attention given to the animals raised for slaughter in the meat industry, and the conditions the people in the industry must work in. People eat meat, and that's fine, but attention should be given to how it gets to the table.

im sure if the seal population became endangered tommorow,the people of newfoundland and labrador would be the first to want an end to it.it has sustained us for centuries and the real threath to the population in the north atlantic will be global warming.it's comming sooner then we think.for the past several years i have observed hummingbirds and other bird species here that have never been recorded before.please drop byy my blog and comment if you wish.

Eric;I think many of us would think twise about what we ate if we knew exactly what went into the process...

Table Mount:I appreciate your comments and have just returned from your site; your post is also very informative and presents images that do not reflect the propoganda that is portrayed by celebrities involved, that's for sure. And youa re also corect, global warming is the biggest concern here.

Paul McCartney, while not the best person for the job of educating the world, has finally brought attention to something that has desperately needed it. Most people here in the States think it ended in the 70's. The opposition to the hunt has not only to do with the fact that it is unnecessary (the pelts are used only for fashion) and wasteful (the carcasses are left to rot - there is plenty of photographic evidence of this) but the regulations in place for the HUMANE killing of the seals are not enforced, and many of the seal pups are skinned alive. Yes, we slaughter cows and chickens for food every day, and we are trying to force slaughter houses to do that more humanely too, but the seal hunt is simply barbaric and obsolete. There is no reason to harvest the seals. The Humane Society has a very informative website set up with the journal entries of those who visit each year during the hunt to peaceably videotape the scene: www.protectseals.org . I appreciate your comment on my site, but I have studied this hunt for some time, and you have not changed my view of it.

Cathy, I hope you don't mind right now, but Artist 99 missed an important key to all of this, "Artist99" if you really I mean really did your research you'd find that the so called humane groups you are refrerring to are no longer in the business of protecting the animals and or mammals they are all about linning their own pockets, sorry hun to brust your bubble, but when you get a chance check out their annual reports. Love and Peace and respect for all living things...... :)

I responded on my blog to your comments. I think you missed the point of my prior response. It is obvious that you will not change my opinion and I will not change yours and we both have well-educated reasons for that. Thank you again for visiting my site and leaving a comment.

skyeblue2u - I am not about to get into a debate over environmental groups - I have done research and support the ones I've found to be helpful. (And yes, given the recent Katrina disaster I have seen firsthand what they contribute and how they help.) I came here to respond to comments on my blog and I would appreciate not being condescended to.

SkyeBlue;This is unfortunately true of a number of organizations and they make a lot of their funds off the publicicty from the seal hunt. Not only that, but A number of them are being investigated by the FBI for eco-terrorist activities.

Greg;Thank you; I will visit your site some time today.

Dr.Deb;Thank you and I appreciate your comment because you are a very good writer yourself.

Arthist;You are right; neither of us is going to change the other's mind.

Referring to the Katrina disaster and what the animal rights groups you support did for that disaster is a rather mute point; they do wonderful things, that is a given; but in this case, they are off the mark and are using the seal hunt to raise money from misinformed people.

Arthisi;I've just returned from commenting on your site and wanted to tell my friends here what you said; that by the fact that you live in Georgia, USA, you are able to be more objective about the seal hunt than I am with my blurred Canadian vision: cut it with the arrogance, please.

And then the chaps who make comments on your site, comparing sealers to slave operators and German concentration camps guards...wow; this really makes you all seem so compassionate and caring; that is what it's all about, right? I know this was not your comment but it exemplifies the kinds of extent and emotion that people will go to, to try and make their point.

"And then the chaps who make comments on your site, comparing sealers to slave operators and German concentration camps guards..."

Hi, I am that chap. In the spirit of keeping people "truly" informed, my comment was just a sarcastic attempt to point out the fact that just because someone gets paid to do something doesn't always make it right. I'm sorry if I offended you, but please, lighten up and take a joke.

Thanks for writing the article, Cathy, it's very well written...and with references! Very, very pro. And what a flood of impassioned comments! That's what I like about blogs. Interaction.

Well, my issues with hunting/butchering/slaughterhouses have always been rooted in the difficulty in regulating the "humaneness" of the killing itself. The hunting lands are vast and not all hunters will practice humane methods and I'm not sure there's much to be done about that, although I wish there was. I was a vegetarian for years because of these feelings (but I missed bacon too much and had to go back!) and still have an "all or nothing" attitude about it: if anyone is going to cry "what about seals" then they are obligated to cry "what about cows? What about Goats? What about fish? What about my $300 boots? What about my shearling coat?".

We anthropomorphise anything with a sweet fuzzy face--it's ingrained in us.

Nice to see someone informed on this economic terrorist travesty being perpetrated against the people of NL, PEI, NB,NS, and Quebec all in the name of fund raising.

Sir Paul actually thought the seals were an endangered species upon arriving on the plane. Some spokes man.

There are some6000000 harp seals2000000 Hood seals1000000 other species of seals which number in the range of 20 to 30 of the East coast of Canada alone.

If anything should be banned it is the caplin harvest for their roe alone while the dead female caplin are thrown back dead. That and the foreign over fishing by countries like Mr McCartneys Britain of our coast and our continental shelf in accordance with article 76 of the UN law of the Sea.http://www.lawofthesea.net/convention.htm

Balanced Nature Not Balanced ARA's check books

Mythshttp://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/seal-phoque/myth_e.htm

Canadian veteranarian studyhttp://canadianveterinarians.net/Documents/Resources/Files/130_Seal%20Hunt%20Report.pdf

Seal killing 8 foot sturgeonhttp://www.katu.com/stories/76832.html

Video of dead fish on bay from sealshttp://www.exn.ca/Stories/1999/03/09/56.asp

Cathy, the meat is not used, that is a false claim to make it seem more reasonable to slaughter the seals.I detest slaughterhouses and am an outspoken vegetarian on the atrocities. But, the meat at least is used for food, not so in the case of the seals. I've seen the photos! One more point; seals do not deplete cod. More seals equals more cod. The fisheries and other predators deplete cod.As for Paul McCartney and slaughterhouses. Here's his quote:If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian."

I do not agree with the seal hunt or anything to do with it. Its cruel and senseless. But i do agree people eed jobs and people DO eat the meat. and that people are making it out to be more than it is just for a photo-opurtunity, or money raising now im not saying any names coughcoughPAULANDHEATHERcoughcough. and a message to all who care about this so much and are idolising paul and heather McCarthy... get something better, more important than a few seals.. like maybe?? child prostitution... that cruel...crueler even...but oh wait if paul and heather go out and have a photo session with a few child prostitutes its not the same as a cute cuddly white seal pup (which arent even legal to hunt dummies) and they probably killed that on they took pictures with anyway, his mither probably came back from catching some food and disowned him because of the human scent on him... uninformed people make me mad especially if theyre celbs getting used for their bug names.... anyways peace out im gone.

The following information was taken from:"lotusinthemud: top 3 seal hunt myths". The reason for posting this information is to present a cogent rebuttal to Cathy's advocacy of the seal hunt. Also note that Cathy's references are all Canadian based with no references to scientists and government agencies outside of Canada. That being said, her references are biased in favor of the seal hunt. She also uses a reference from a Canadian government regulated agency that supports the seal hunt.

Myth #1: The seal hunt is humane.

All available evidence, including veterinary reports and independent observations, indicates that each year tens of thousands of seal pups die in an unacceptably cruel manner inconsistent with contemporary animal welfare standards.

Year after year, observers report abuses such as the hooking and dragging of live seals across the ice, seals clubbed or shot and left to suffer on the ice, and seals skinned while conscious. While all recent veterinary reports recommend reducing the suffering of seals, their recommendations have not been fully implemented. There is no doubt that Canada’s commercial seal hunt continues to result in considerable and unacceptable suffering.

Myth #2: The seal hunt is closely monitored and well managed.

The seal hunt involves thousands of sealers competing for a limited number of seals during a relatively short period of time. Sealers are concerned with killing as many animals as quickly as possible instead of checking to see if a seal is dead before moving on to club the next one.

Year after year, IFAW hunt observers encounter seals that have been clubbed and left to suffer on the ice, bleeding profusely, crying, breathing and attempting to crawl. These are not “reflexes” as the DFO claims, which are easily recognised and familiar to those observing the seal hunt.

During 2006, the DFO claimed to have had 12 monitors for the Gulf hunt, the largest enforcement effort ever. Yet sealers in one region were allowed to take three times their quota without any consequences. In fact the Total Allowable Catch has been exceeded in four of the past five years.

Myth #3: The seal hunt is sustainable

A recent study by IFAW scientists found that the current management approach risks depleting the harp seal herd by as much as 70% in the next 15 years. Seal catch quotas set by the Canadian government are much higher than government scientists’ estimates of what is sustainable, and these quotas are then allowed to be exceeded.The DFO often states that the harp seal population has tripled since the 1970s. However, this ignores the fact that between 1950 and 1970 the harp seal population was reduced by as much as two-thirds from seal hunting. Since 1995, harp seals are being killed at levels similar to those that caused a dangerous decline in the past, and the DFO now admits that the population has declined.

Climate change is also presenting a new threat to the harp seal population by negatively impacting their breeding habitat. Increasingly, poor ice conditions off the east coast of Canada are causing higher than normal seal pup mortality. Government scientists estimate that in 2002, 75% of the pups in the Gulf of St. Lawrence died due to a lack of ice before the hunt even began. Yet the government continues to increase the total allowable catches for harp seals, putting the population at increased risk.

What needs to be understood is that data produced from the DFO is not statistically reliable. Like their assessment of the Atlantic Cod fisheries (which led to a closing of teh fishery in 1992) and their data on the Quebec Boreal Forest, which overestimated the Total Allowable Cut needed to sustain a sustainable harvest, their resource analysis techniques are limited. Hence, the stats you posted are biased (e.g. 5 million seal population), due to a lack of adequate field technolgies an input systems. Hence teh Total Allowable Catch that has been issued for 2007 (270,000 seal per annum) could be detrimental to teh health of the population. However, teh Canadian government does not care, due to their wait and see policies when it comes to resource management decisions. One must remember that total allowable catches were implemented as a monotoring tool in the 1970's as a consequence of human overexploitaion of the seal hunt, estimated to have dessimated the harp seal population by over 50%. All I am saying is that do not as a environmental scientist and environmental impact assessment specialist, believe every bit of information you and all teh news media is receiving form teh Canadian government and the DFO who have a major stake in the continued annual slaughter of harp seals. By the by, baby seals loose their white coat at aroun 13 days. So pretty much a 12 year ofl pup is protected byt a 13 day year old pup.....the game is on. Think about it. I mean common, rather than blast people for condoning the inhumane slaughter of anumals for foodstuff, you should maybe look at the inhumane slaughter of seals as indication of teh blood you have on you hands from yous consumption of meat produced in factory farms. Finally, cause I could bash your article forever, seen as it's all just a reiteration of the DFO website, think about how hard it is to hit a target directly when its moving around in fear. Tell me if you could use the Hakapik properly. Humane? Ha that's a joke if I've ever heard one.

What needs to be understood is that data produced from the DFO is not statistically reliable. Like their assessment of the Atlantic Cod fisheries (which led to a closing of the fishery closing in 1992) and their data on the Quebec Boreal Forest, which overestimated the Total Allowable Cut needed to maintain a sustainable harvest,resulting in vast amounts of forest lands that will not regenerate, their resource analysis techniques are limited. Hence, the stats you posted are biased (e.g. 5 million seal population). Due to a lack of adequate field technolgies and input systems that incorporate uncertainties into the models (e.g. struck and lost pups). Hence the Total Allowable Catch that has been issued for 2007 (270,000 seal per annum) could be detrimental to the teh future health of the seal population. However, the Canadian government does not care, due to their "wait and see" policies when it comes to resource management decisions. One must remember that total allowable catches were implemented as a monotoring tool in the 1970's as a consequence of human overexploitaion of seals, which resulted in an estimated dessimation of the harp seal population by over 50%. All I am saying is that, take it from me who has a degree as a environmental scientist and environmental impact assessment specialist, do not believe every bit of information you and all the news media is receiving form the Canadian government and the DFO who have a major stake in the continued annual slaughter of harp seals. By the by, baby seals loose their white coat at around 13 days. So pretty much a 12 day old pup is protected but a 13 day old pup.....the game is on. Think about it. I mean common, rather than blast people for condoning the inhumane slaughter of animals for foodstuff, you should maybe look at the inhumane slaughter of seals as an indication of the blood you have on you hands from yous consumption of meat produced in factory farms. Finally, cause I could bash your article forever, seen as it's all just a reiteration of the DFO website, think about how hard it is to hit a target directly center skull when its moving around in fear. Tell me if you could use the Hakapik properly. Humane? Ha that's a joke if I've ever heard one.

I guess it's easy for you to sit back in a cozy room filled with so-called factual truths. May I suggest you take a trip on the ice to witness the seal hunt first hand. Then come back and honestly tell us what you witnessed. I would much rather believe someone on the ice be it, celebrity, Queen or President than someone that believes their shedding truth from a classroom with mountains of so-called statistics. Inhumane is inhumane is inhumane be it people, animals or environmental PERIOD. BTW where can I get the video of Sir Paul on the ice so I can repost. many thanks

Unbiased... give me a break. There has been no record of seal meat being sold in the Canada in the past few years, even though the DFO states they do. The seal hunt is purely part of the fur industry. You cannot compare Canada's commercial seal hunt with slaughter houses, as the slaughter houses take the meat from the animal which is essential to our growth and survival, while seal fur is just a petty fashion accessory.

About Me

I'm not a lumberjack or a fur trader.
I don't live in an igloo, eat blubber or own a dogsled.
I don't know Jimmy Suzie or Sally from Canada,
Although I'm certain they're very nice.
I have a prime minister, not a president,
I speak English and French, not American.
And I pronounce it 'about' not 'a-boot.'
I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack.
I believe in peacekeeping, not policing;
Diversity, not assimilation.
And that the beaver is a proud and noble animal.
A tuque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch.
And it's pronounced zed. OK? Not zee. Zed.
Canada is the second-largest land mass,
the first nation of women's hockey
and the best part of North America.
My name is Cathy and I am Canadian.